Car coupling and dumping mechanism



Aug. 18, 1925.

C. H. ToMLlNsoN CAR COULING AND DUMPING MECHANISM Original F'iledJan. 17 1924 @mentor CM2/m55 A( 75ML/Nauw Fat-eluted Aug. 18, 1925i.

UNITED STATES Nrn'rula'r OFFICE.

CHARLES H. TOIVILINSON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOMLINSON COUPLER COMPANY, 0F MANSFIELID, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR COUPLING AND DUMPING MECHANISM.

Original application le. January 17, 1924, Serial No. 686,903. Divided and this application led February Serial No. 6,983.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLns H. TOMLIN- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mansfield, in the county ot' Richland and Sta-te of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in aCar` Coupling and Dumping Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to .car coupling systems and has particular reference to the coupling ot cars for use in mines and other haulage purposes where it is desired to rotate one or more cars in order to dump the contents of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupling system in which the cars may be coupled end to end regardless ot which ends are coupled and in which one or more ot the cars in the train may be rolled-over and dumped without uncoupling the rolled-over cars from the adjacent cars to which they are coupled.

Another object of my invention is to provide means which will maintain the couplers normally in a predetermined position and which will permit the rolled-over cars to rotate relative to the couplers during the dumping operation and to also provide means for supporting the couplers in a yielding relation to the cars, and which will tend to center the couplers, but not inter- Jfere with the dumping of the cars as described. Y

lt is the custom at the present time to either uncouple th-e cars to be rolled-over from the adjacent coupled cars at the time of dumping or to provide couplers between the cars providing a very loose character of coupling` such as, with a loosely litting link or by means ot a chain. I provide for the use of what may be termed a tight-lock coupler and which will couple automatically upon impact of the cars, and with my arrangement it is not necessary to uncouple the cars in the dumping operation.

' My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts herein fully described and set forth in the drawing accompanying this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a top plan view of a dump car and the ends of two adjacent cars provided with my coupling mechanism in order to show the general arrangement and relation.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of Fig. 1 and shows the central car as positioned upon a separate section of track. This section ot track is to represent a rotating tipple so that the car resting thereon may be rolled over. l have not shown the details of construction in connection with the rotation of the central section of' the track as this is not a part of my invention and rotating tlipples are in common use at the present c ay.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2 on the line 3 3. i

Fig. 4 is an end view similar to Fig. 3 with the exception of showing the car to be dumped in a rolled-over position an-d the coupler'in its normal position.

Referring to Fig. 1, A, B and C, each represents a mining car, to the adjacent ends of which is attached a coupling head 1 adapted to cooperate with its counter-part head. The coupler head which I prefer to employ is shown in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 686,903, tiled January 17 th, 1924, of which this application is a division.

Each head is mounted upon the car by means of an anchorage 3 which is secured to the car by means of bolts or rivets 4. rlhe coupler heads 1 are secured in the anchorage 3 by means of a ball and socket joint to permit universal movement of the coupler head with respect to the car body. The tail-piece 44 of the coupler head is provided with a ball 5 litted into a correspond ing socket of the anchorage 3. The coupler heads are shown as in coupled relation on three cars, A, B and C, and as being supported by the yielding support 8, shown in detail in my co-pending application reerred to.

In Fig. 2 the car A is shown with wheels 9 and the body 10, which is mounted upon the axle 13 of the wheels by the brackets 11, which are provided with a proj ecting stud 12 which in turn is mounted in the socket in the axle housing 14.

When the central portion of the track, designated as 50, rotates, it is so arranged that it will rotate about the longitudinal aXis of the coupler which is at the intersection ot the lines X-X and Y-Y- By having the roll-over axis and the longitudinal axis Qt the couplers coincide it is not necessary to uncouple the rolled-over car from its adjacent cars.

In order to maintain the couplersk under normal operation in a normal relation with respect to, the; cars, I recommend the use ort' the blocks 15 positioned midwayl between the rails 16-16 and oi such a height that the couplers will just clear the top ot the. block, andthe cars'being so` constructed that they will pass over the blocks 15 without interference therewith.V It will be noted that thesey blocks. are mounted in a lined relation. with respect to the rails` and do not move as would be the case it they were mounted upon the rotating tipple. It will be noted from Fig. l thatr when the car is rolled overabout an axis corresponding with the longitudinal anis of the couplers, that the couplers are prevented from rotating due to their position willi respect to the blocksl 15, and likewise when the car is rotated back to normal position the couplers are prevented from rotating so that the couplers are always in a normal position with respect to the cars when operating under normal conditions.

The coupler heads are provided with hook members 54 which interlock on two cooperating heads to hold the heads in coupled relation and` the hook 54 of one coupler enters the opening L.l1 oithe coo aerating head' and tends topartially aline the heads. In order tovprevent any relative lateral or rotativemovement of the coupled heads, I provide in the face two openings: 61 and twoprojectingpins 62. The holes and pins are spaced equal distance on each side ot the vertical line which is the central line of the head, and thepins icr the holes are always placed on the same sideV oit this line, therefore, when two heads are brought together the pins of one head will enter the holes on the cooperating head and maintain the heads in perfect alinement and without relativeV rotative movement, therefore, when one head tends to rotate the other head must rotate with it when the connection ot' the. coupler to its car is such as tovpermit rotation.

In the arrangement thus far described, I have considered the cars as equipped for what is known as double end operation, that is, in which the ends of thecars are identically equipped with coupling mechanism and, therefore, can be reversed and connected end for end as may be desired. The cars may also be equipped `for single end operation, in whichcase the couplerl tail-piece 44 of the coupler head on one end of the car isV secured to the anchorage 3 in such a manner that relative rotation is not permitted about the longitudinal axis, while the coupler head at the opposite end' of the car will be secured thereto in rotative relation, as described above, or the supporting device S at one end of the car may be so constructed as to prevent the rotation 01' the coupler at that end with respect to the car body. With a construction of this sort, it is evident that it theA cars are properly connected up end to end sov that a rigidly mounted coupler always couples with a rotatably mounted coupler, that the block 15 may be done away with and the coupler head, which is rigidly mounted to the car bod-y A, will cause its cooperating head to rotate about itsball anchor? connection when the ear is rolled over, but it will rotate the couplerbead back tov normal when the car body is rotating to its normal position. it the opposite endy of the car A, Yfor single end construction, the coupler head would be rotatably mounted and, therefore, would` rotate relative4 to the rolled-over car, but would not rotate relative to the adjacent car for the reason, that the cooperating coupler head on the adjacent car would be secured` thereto against rotation and hence would always remain in its normal operative position.

The yielding support 8 comprises the members 17 for securing. the support to the under framing of the car.

The support also has a transverse yoke member 19 with the upright and over-hanging member 22 at each end. Interposed between the members 17 and 22 at each end of the yoke member 19 is a springv 21. These springs will permit the yoke member to move downwardly under a downward pressure from the coupler and the tendency of the springswill be tomaintain the couplers at a normally fixed height. In order to maintain the couplers in a normally central position transversely of the car, I employ the member 27 on either side of the coupler tail piece and held in yielding engagement with the tail-piece by means of the springs 35. fifithI this supporting device it is possible to maintain the couplers, when uncoupled, in a normally central position at a uniform height so that the cars may be coupled upon impact, yet allowing the couplers, which may be of the tight-lock type, to pivot laterally of the cars when they round a curve or pass over breaks of grade. rI`he tail-piece of the coupler heads 1, which engages with the members` 37, are shown with a plurality of flat sides, as may be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and these flat sides pressed by the members 27 tend to hold the couplers against rotation under normal conditions, but the yielding action of the members 27 will permit the coupler to rotate relative to the member 8 and to the car when required, as shown in Fig. 4. If the members 27 lare made rigid, then the coupler head Will be held against relative rotation With respect to the support 8 and will rotate when the carbody is rotated, and if the companion coupler is provided With a support in which the members 27 are yielding then the companion coupler Will rotate also and relative to its support. This latter construction, in

which the members 27 are unyieldingly mounted, Will, of course, not permit a radial movement of the coupler head When the cars round curves and, therefore, its use is limited to a straight track of large curvature.

It Will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art that there are a number of moditications Which Will occur to them, and Which Would naturally fall Within the scope of my invention and hence I do not Wish to be limited other than by my claims.

I claim:

l. In a haulage system, the combination of a plurality of cars each equipped With cooperating coupler heads, means on each car to mount the cars movably on a track, a track for the cars to operate upon, means to roll-over one of the cars relative to the other cars about a longitudinal axis, means for rotatably securing the coupler heads to their respective cars and having their longitudinal axis coincide With the axis of rollover means and to interlock one coupler head With another against longitudinal movement and means to prevent the cooperating couplers between the roll-over and non-roll-over cars rotating relative to the non-roll-over car or cars When the one car is rolled-over.

2. In a hauling system, the combination of a pair of cars equipped With cooperating coupler heads, means on each car to operate it on a track, a track, means whereby one car can be rolledsover relative to the other car, means to prevent the rotation of the coupled couplers relative to one car, but not to the other car and means to prevent the relative rotation of one coupler relative to the other coupler.

In a haulage system, the combination of a pair of cars equipped with cooperating coupler heads, means on each car to operate it on a track, a track, means vvhereby one car can be rolled-over relative to the other car and means to prevent the rotation of the coupled couplers relative to one car, but not to the other car.

4L. In a haulage system, the combination of a plurality of cars equipped With couplers to mechanically connect the cars, means connecting the couplers to the cars in rotatable relation about their longitudinal axis, means to roll-over one or more cars relative to the other cars and means preventing the rotation of the couplers on the rolled-over cars and adjacent the other cars relative to the other cars.

5. The combination with a stationary track and a continuation thereof on a rotating tipple and adapted to receive a train of coupled cars and rotating the cars on the tipple Without disturbing the couplings, of car-couplers mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis, a yielding supporting and centering device to yieldingly urge the couplers to a central position, means to yieldingly resist rotation of the couplers under normal operation but permit rotation about the longitudinal axis under sulicient stress and means to prevent the rotation of the couplers relative to a stationary car when urged to rotate by a car on the rotating tipple.

6. The combination with means for rotating one car relative to another car which is mounted upon Xed rails and of the cars coupled together by rigidly connected couplers connected to the cars to rotate rela`v tive thereto about their longitudinal aXisl of means cooperating with the track and the couplers to prevent the couplers rotating relative to the track When one car is rotated.

7. The combination With a rotary tipple and a track thereon and a stationary track in continuation of the tipple, track, the tracks being adapted to receive coupled cars in which the couplers are connected rigidly together and against relative rotation and the tipple being rotatable about an axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis oi the couplers, of means to permit the rotation of the cars on the tipple Without uncoupling the cars.

8. The combination with a rotary tipple of a track thereon to receive a car and a stationary track cooperating With the track on the tipple and to receive cars coupled to the car on the tipple by means of couplers rotatable about a longitudinal axis and means to prevent the rotation of the coupler on the car on the stationary track and means to prevent the cooperating coupler heads on the stationary and rotatable track from rotating relative to each other.

9. The combination with a rotary tipple of a track thereon and a stationary track as a continuation thereof to receive a train of cars partly on and partly off the tipple, cooperating couplers between the cars, and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and stationary means adjacent the tipple to be engaged by the couplers to prevent their rotation When the tipple and portion of train thereon is rotated.

In testimony Whereoi:l I aflix my signature.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON. 

